May142020
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ASCLS Advises Senator on Testing Capacity, Membership Renewal Season Has Begun, New Upcoming Webinar on Convalescent Plasma, Virtual 2020 Joint Annual Meeting, and More.

 

Labvocate

SenMurrayCroppedASCLS Advises Senator Murray of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Testing Capacity for SARS-CoV-2

Last week ASCLS met with the senior staff of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This was the latest in a series of meetings held with Senator Murray’s team.

The senator is the author of a white paper that formed the basis of the legislation impacting laboratories in the recently passed CARES 2 Act. The influential HELP Committee, which is chaired by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), has primary oversite on CARES and the requirement for a national testing strategy.

Senator Murray’s staff asked ASCLS for assistance in understanding issues around testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2. Accompanied by ASCLS Legislative Consultant Patrick Cooney and ASCLS Executive Vice President Jim Flanigan, ASCLS President Cindy Johnson and Past President Rick Panning provided eye-opening insights that will critically influence how Congress and the Administration increase testing capacity in the United States.

Rick and Cindy’s ability to describe the very real differences in their two health systems’ experiences rolling out testing really helped these key congressional staffers understand the challenges and possible solutions much better. Congratulations to Cindy and Rick for making an important, if not entirely visible, impact on public policy that is going to impact laboratory professionals and the health of their patients.

Senator Murray’s team has asked for ASCLS to facilitate some additional gathering of information from laboratory leaders for use by the HELP Committee. We’ll continue to share details at they develop.

Membership Renewal Season

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ASCLS has already begun the 2020-21 dues renewal season. Thank you to the nearly 800 members who renewed early, saving the Society significant funds that would have been spent on paper mailings.

We gave those members the chance to direct a portion of the savings back into the programs they are most passionate about. More than $1,500 will be redistributed to the following programs:

  • Where Funds Are Needed Most – 54%
  • Bernadette Rodak Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship – 23%
  • Legislative Symposium Travel Grants for Developing Professionals – 10%
  • Cynthia L. Breen Memorial Scholarship – 4%
  • Education & Research Fund, Inc., Research Grants – 4%
  • Special Projects – 4%

For those of you who have not yet renewed, paper notices will arrive by mail in the next few weeks. Renew your membership by July 31 to ensure access to your membership benefits and to maintain your continued membership status. Thank you for your support of ASCLS and the profession.

Download an #IamASCLS frame for you Facebook profile and help encourage your friends and colleagues to renew or join ASCLS.

ASCLS Monthly Webinar

Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about a new topic and earn 1.0 hour of P.A.C.E.® credit from your desktop. All upcoming webinars are free for ASCLS members ($10 for nonmembers). If you can’t attend live, register anyway—those who pre-register will receive access to the webinar recording.

Convalescent Plasma – Past, Present, Future

May 27, 8 pm Eastern

Speakers:

  • Helen Bixenman, MBA/HCM, CHC, CG(ASCP)CMDLMCM,QLCCM, Chief Quality, Regulatory Affairs and Risk Officer Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, San Diego Blood Bank
  • Mark Edmunds, MD, Chief Medical Officer, San Diego Blood Bank
  • Randy German, MT(ASCP)SBB, Laboratory Administrative Director, Hoag Memorial Hospital

This presentation will discuss the usage of convalescent plasma both from a historical perspective as well as its role as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Register now. 

ASCLS is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.

Gain New Skills with the LEI

LEI Logo Full Text Stacked TransparentTake time for your own professional development this summer with the ASCLS Laboratory Educator Institute (LEI). This series of online courses allows you to gain new skills, get a quick refresher on an education topic, and be prepared for the fall semester.

The LEI currently includes eight courses:

  • Writing Instructional Objectives Part 1: The Quick Start Guide
  • Writing Instructional Objectives Part 2: Advanced
  • The Affective Domain in Laboratory Education
  • The Nuts and Bolts of Assessment and Evaluation: It’s Not Just about the Outcomes!
  • Tests and Test Questions: Best Practices for Composing Multiple Choice, True/False and Essays
  • How to Conduct a Literature Review
  • A Molecular Microbiology Primer for Medical Laboratory Educators
  • Did I Write a Clunker Test Question? Using Test Item Analysis to Improve Grading and Test Questions

With courses created by revered educators in the field, the LEI is designed to provide professional development for medical laboratory educators in critical areas, including education/teaching, administration/leadership, clinical practice, and research. Gain new skills to succeed and earn P.A.C.E.® credit. Learn more.

ASCLS is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.

Nominations Open for 2020-21 Developing Professionals Forum and Ascending Professionals Forum Officers

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Would you like to take on a leadership role in either the Developing Professionals Forum (DPF) or the Ascending Professionals Forum (APF)? Or do you know someone who would make an excellent fit? All nominees must be ASCLS Developing Professional members or Ascending Professional members as of February 28, 2020.

Submit your nominations for the DPF by May 31, 2020.

Developing Professionals Chair Responsibilities—one-year term (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):

  • Serves as a voting member of the ASCLS Board of Directors (BOD).
    • Requires participation in the interim ASCLS BOD call in November 2020.
    • Requires travel to the ASCLS BOD meeting in March 2021 in Washington, DC (Sunday before Legislative Symposium).
    • Requires travel to the June 29-July 3, 2021, Joint Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY. 
  • Works with the vice chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
  • Must host and participate in monthly conference calls of the DPF that will be determined based on the availability of the DPF Leadership Council.

Developing Professionals Vice Chair Responsibilities—one-year term (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):

  • Assists the chair and secretary in any activities and functions related to the forum.
  • Works with the chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
  • Stands in for the chair if he/she is unable to complete his/her duties.
  • Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the DPF Leadership Council.

Developing Professionals Secretary Responsibilities—one-year term (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):

  • Assists the chair and vice chair in any activities and functions related to the forum.
  • Works with the chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
  • Records the proceedings of all meetings of the DPF.
  • Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the DPF Leadership Council.

 Submit your nominations for the APF by May 31, 2020.

Ascending Professionals Vice Chair Responsibilities—one-year term, potential three-year commitment (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):

  • Assists the chair in any activities and functions related to the forum.
  • Works with the chair, secretary, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
  • Stands in for the chair if he/she is unable to complete his/her duties.
  • Ascends to the forum chair for the following year.
  • Once past chair, serves as the Ascending Professional Director on the ASCLS Board of Directors.
  • Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the APF Leadership Council.

Ascending Professionals Secretary Responsibilities—one-year term, may serve two terms (full responsibilities are listed in the Guidelines for Governance):

  • Assists the chair in scheduling meetings and conference calls throughout the year.
  • Takes the meeting minutes for all meetings and conference calls throughout the year.
  • Maintains a current contact list of all regional and state representatives.
  • Works with the chair, vice chair, advisor, and other members to complete the charges for the year.
  • Must participate in monthly conference calls that will be determined based on the availability of the APF Leadership Council.

Membership Engagement Opportunity

1Let’s take a moment to celebrate all the superheroes in lab coats we know. Use the hashtag #LabHero and #IamASCLS to acknowledge all of the essential laboratory professionals in your life with a picture or a post. Share your post on your favorite social media platforms and/or on the ASCLS Open Forum. We are all in this together. #Lab4Life

 

ASCLS Voices Under 40

Croom revSpotlight: Kristen Croom, MLS(ASCP)CM, MB(ASCP), from Honolulu, HI

Kristen is currently the Director of Pathology, Clinical Laboratory, and Molecular Services at Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. She oversees three anatomic pathology laboratories, one clinical laboratory, and provides consultation services for the largest clinical molecular diagnostic laboratory in the state. Kristen is responsible for over 180 employees. Her duties include working with managers to ensure smooth operations of each laboratory, overseeing projects, and being the laboratory representative at meetings.

“I’m passionate about being a laboratorian and helping our patients,” Kristen mentions in her personal statement. Today Kristen serves ASCLS as the Region X director. Kristen continues to be active in ASCLS because she believes that clinical laboratorians are an essential part of the healthcare team and provide those results needed to help patients across the country and the world. ASCLS is the primary voice for all laboratorians. Her involvement in ASCLS helps keep the voice alive and ensure that all laboratorians are represented. Read more. 

ASCLS Voices Under 40 honors ASCLS members who have shown exceptional commitment to the Society, the laboratory profession, and their community at large at a younger age in their professional career. Each month we spotlight one of the shining voices who were selected from many nominations across the country.

Events

logo jam color virtual2020 Joint Annual Meeting Goes Virtual

As it became increasingly clear that we would be unable to hold our Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) live as planned in Louisville this summer, the ASCLS Board of Directors in consultation with the Annual Meeting Steering Committee and leaders from Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT) decided that the 2020 ASCLS & AGT Joint Annual Meeting will be held virtually, June 28-July 2.

While we look forward to a time when we can reunite with our laboratory friends and colleagues, we are also excited about the opportunities this new virtual format presents.

Flexible and Affordable. Participate in nearly 60 hours of P.A.C.E.®-approved continuing education on a flexible schedule that you choose, either real-time or recorded sessions streaming up to 30 days after the meeting. Even virtually, you can come together with your community of laboratory professionals for support and camaraderie during this challenging time.

Take advantage of new registration rates and deadlines to make the meeting more affordable and accessible to laboratory professionals. Until June 1, the cost for Professional members to register is $295 while Developing Professionals, Ascending Professionals, and Emeritus members can register for $145.

Apply for a Joint Annual Meeting Full Registration Scholarship

To support its members through the current economic climate, the ASCLS Developing Professionals Forum and Ascending Professionals Forum are offering more than 75 full registration scholarships to attend the ASCLS & AGT Virtual 2020 Joint Annual Meeting, June 28-July 2. Take advantage of this opportunity to get about 60 hours of P.A.C.E.®-approved continuing education for free!

Applications are due by next Friday, May 22. Learn more.

CLEC 2020 On Demand

CLEC On Demand Image 3Many of the CLEC 2020 attendees found this year’s educational program to be one of the strongest yet. If you didn’t get a chance to attend, good news—most of the educational programming was recorded and is now available to stream online via the ASCLS Learning Management System. All individual sessions are $10 for ASCLS members/$15 for non-members.

You can purchase a Best of CLEC 2020 bundle, containing the top 10 sessions according to attendee ratings ($80 for ASCLS Members/$120 for non-members). Sessions included are:

  • Top 10 Lessons Learned in 30 Years of Teaching
  • Making it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
  • #TwitterHomework: A Novel Pedagogical Paradigm in Pathology Education
  • A Program Director’s Perspective on Managing NAACLS Compliance
  • Motivational Interviewing for Student Success
  • Innovative Clinical Experience Model
  • Speed Learning 2: Bullet Journaling for Metacognition & Teamwork or Dreamwork: Making Team-Based Learning a Reality
  • Increasing On-Campus Immunohematology Laboratory Activities to Prepare Students for Clinical Rotations
  • Utilizing Active Learning Strategies in an Eight-week Hematology Course
  • Clinical Microbiology for New Educators

For access to all 42 recorded sessions (up to 42.5 hours of P.A.C.E.® credit), purchase the All Access CLEC 2020 On Demand bundle ($250 for ASCLS members/$375 for non-members).

Connect: The Community Conversations

In this time of social distancing, ASCLS Connect is an invaluable way to ask questions, share feedback, and stay connected with your family of laboratorians. Here are some of the ways ASCLS members are coming together to deal with the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic:

Download the MemberCentric App on your mobile device to get the community conversations and more in the palm of your hand.

Key Dates

Joint Annual Meeting Registration Scholarship Deadline
May 22

Convalescent Plasma – Past, Present, Future WebinarConvalescent Plasma – Past, Present, Future Webinar
May 27

Joint Annual Meeting Early Registration DeadlineJoint Annual Meeting Early Registration Deadline
June 1